On 8/2/2011 12:43 PM, Craig Weinberg wrote:
On Aug 2, 2:06 pm, "Stephen P. King"<[email protected]> wrote:
The point is that there is a point where the best possible model or
computational simulation of a system is the system itself. The fact that
it is impossible to create a model of a weather system that can predict
*all* of its future behavior does not equal to a proof that one cannot
create an approximately accurate model of a weather system. One has to
trade off accuracy for feasibility.
I agree that's true, and by that definition, we can certainly make
cybernetic systems which can approximate the appearance of
consciousness in the eyes of most human clients of those systems for
the scope of their intended purpose. To get beyond that level of
accuracy, you may need to get down to the cellular, genetic, or
molecular level, in which case it's not really worth the trouble of re-
inventing life just to get a friendlier sounding voicemail.
Craig
So now you agree that a simulation of a brain at the molecular level
would suffice to produce consciousness (although of course it would be
much more efficient to actually use molecules instead of computationally
simulating them). This would be a good reason to say 'no' to the
doctor, since even though you could simulate the molecules and their
interactions, quantum randomness would prevent you from controlling
their interactions with the molecules in the rest of your brain.
Bruno's argument would still go through, but the 'doctor' might have to
replace not only your brain but a big chunk of the universe with which
it interacts. However, most people who have read Tegmark's paper
understand that the brain must be essentially classical as a computer
and so a simulation, even one of molecules, could be quasi-classical,
i.e. local.
Brent
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